Rail-tie



UNITED STATES PATEriTA Ormes.

JAMES F.l MYSER, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

RAIL-TIE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,953,- dated March 14, 1899. Application flied March 25, 189s. serial No. 675,146. No model.)

T all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. MYsER, a cilizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Rail- Tie, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-ties.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail-ties and to provide a simple, strong, and durable one adapted to clamp rails firmly without employing bolts or spikes of any kind and capable of resisting longitudinal movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail-tie adapted to be placed in position as readily as an ordinary wooden tie and capable of .preventing rails from spreading at curves and other points where the said rails are subjected to great lateral strain.

Another object of the invention is to lessen the labor of building railroad-tracks and to provide a cross-tie which will obviate the necessity of employing a gage and which will permit rails to be readily removed and replaced.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a track provided with cross-ties constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the cross-ties. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken transversely of one of the cross-ties. Fig. et is a detail perspective View of one of the removable clamping-plates. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of mounting a guard-rail ona cross-tie. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the key when the same is reversed to bring its i'langeless side in contact with the clamping-plate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the gures of the`drawings.

l designatesa cross-tie constructed of metal or any other suitable material and provided with integral clamping jaws or flanges 3, lo-

V,cated at the inner side of one of the rails 2 and at the outer side of the other rail, and the cross-ties, which are adapted to be slipped under the rails, similar to an ordinary wooden tie, are reversely arranged, as illustrated in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings,whereby both sides of each rail will be firmly gripped by the integral clamping jaws or flanges. The cross-ties, which may be either solid or hollow,

can be varied in shape and are securely held against longitudinal movement by depending tapering flanges or ribs 4, extending transversely of the bottom of thetie and presenting straight vertical shoulders and inner inelined or beveled edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. The flanges or ribs 4, .which taper in cross-section, are substantially triangular and have sharp lower edges adapted to cut their way into the road-bed or ballast and enable the cross-tie to obtain a firm hold on the same. The ribs,

which extend across the cross-tie, are reversely arranged at opposite sides of the center of the tie and have their vertical faces atl their outer sides.

The stationary-rigid clamping-jaw 3 has an inclined inner face to conform to the coniiguration of the upper face of the bottom ange of the rail, and the other side of the same is engaged by a removable and adjustable clamping-plate having an inner edge or face conforming to the conguration of the bottom iiange of the rail and formed by bending the inner portion of the plate upward, as shown, or in any other suitable manner. The plate 5, which is arranged on the upper face of the cross-tie, is secured to the same by substantially L-shaped lugs 6, located at opposite sides of the cross-ties and formed integral with the same. The lugs 6, which project above the upper face of the cross-tie, provide Ways to receive the clamping-plate and engage the upper face of the same.

In order to enable the clamping-plate to be readily arranged in the ways formed by the lugs b', the said clamping-plate is provided at its opposite edges with recesses 7, located adjacent to the engaging portion ofthe plate and adapted to receive the lugs and permit the plate to be placed between the same and arranged upon the upper face of the crosstie. The plate is then moved longitudinally to carry the recesses away from the lugs and IOO iz eade to bring its engaging portion against the rail, and it is locked against the latter byatransverse key S, interlocked detaehably with a dovetailed groove 9 of the cross-tie. The undercut groove has upwardly-converging side walls, and the lower portion of the key i"s oppositely beveled to conform to the con figuration of the groove. The upper portion of the key projects above the upper face of the cross-tie and engages and forms a stop for the outer end of the clamping-plate. The upper portion of the key extends above the upper face of the cross-tie and is provided at one side with a flange 10, which projects beyond the groove and which is adapted to abut agaist the clamping-plate to cause the same to clamp a rail that is narrower than the ordinary rail. The key may be readily reversed to bring either side of it into engagement with the clamping-plate, and with the ordinary rail the iangeless side will be employed.

The outer end of the clamping-plate is provided with a projection or boss l1, adapted to be struck by a tool in driving the clamping-plate in position. The keys firmly lock the clamping-plates in engagement with the rails and are adapted to be readily driven out of the grooves to free the rails and permit the same to be removed and replaced.

In Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings is illustrated a guard-rail l2, which is secured to the cross-tie by a key 13 at one side and a clamping-jaw I4 at the opposite side. The key, which is arranged in a dovetailed groove of the cross-tie, is provided with a flange conforming to the configuration of andl engaging the bottom iiange of the rail.

The invention has the following advantages: rlhe cross-tie which is sim le and comparatively inexpensive in construction, possesses great st-rength and durability and is capable of firmly holding the rails and of preventing them from spreading at curves or elsewhere. The cross-tie greatly facilitates the construction of railway-tracks and serves as a gage for the rails. It dispenses with bolts, spikes, and similar fastening devices, and it enables rails to be readily removed and replaced.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

l. In a device of the class described,the combination of a crosstie, lugs mounted on the cross-tie and forming a way between them, a clamping-plate adapted to engage a rail and provided at opposite sides with recesses adapted to permit the plate to be placed between the lugs and interlocked with the same, and means for holding the plate in engagement with a rail, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described,the combination of a cross-tie provided with suitable ways and having a transverse groove, a clamping-plate arranged in the Ways of the cross-tie and adapted to engage a rail, a key interlocked with the groove and projecting above the upper face of the cross-tie and engaging the clamping-plate, said key being provided at one side above the cross-tie with aprojecting fiange and adapted to be reversed to bring either side into engagement with the clamping-plate, whereby the latter is adapted to engage Wide and narrow rails, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class describeddhe com bination of a cross-tie provided with rigid jaws or flanges for engaging rails at one side, substantially L-shaped lugs projecting upward from the cross-tie and forming ways, clamping-plates arranged in the ways and adapted to engage the other sides of the rails, and provided at opposite sides with recesses to permit the plate to be placed between the lu gs and interlocked with the same,said plates being provided at their upper faces with projections or enlargements, and transverse keys interloeked with the eross-tie and engaging the outer ends of the plates, substantially as described. l

4E. In a device of the class described, a crosstie provided at its lower face with depending ribs extending across the tie at right angles to the length of the same, said ribs being triangular in cross-section and forming sharp lower cutting edges and presenting vertical and inclined side faces, the ribs at opposite sides of the center of the cross-tie being reversely arranged to bring the vertical faces at the outer sides of the ribs to form shoulders for holding the cross-tie against longitudinal movement, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. MYSER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT C. GATES, W. L. JAMESON.

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